Books like 'Empire of Shadows'
Readers who enjoyed Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy victorian m-f forced proximity friends to lovers siblings-bff slow burn competent heroine independent heroine
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A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell returns in another adventure filled with secrets and betrayal from Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries. Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favor...Categorized as:
victorian m-f friends to lovers slow burn competent heroine heroine sleuth suspense mystery -
![When We Were Kings by Auryn Hadley]()
When We Were Kings by Auryn Hadley
Born a princess, Leyli never expected to find herself in a gladiatorial arena. Her cousin's plot to secure himself as heir means she got thrown in with the criminals and debtors, sentenced to fight until she either wins her freedom or dies. But Leyli comes from a line of warriors. Raised to be demure and gentle, she might not know how to fight – but she knows how to not give up... -
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![He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters]()
He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 31 ratings1914 finds archaelogists Amelia Peabody, narrator, and husband Radcliffe Emerson back in Egypt for another dig, despite civil unrest. Defiantly pacifist son Ramses hides his spy activity with cousin David. He rescues Molly 12ish, and his dazzling smile conquers yet another female. An artifact from Giza confirms the return of archnemesis Sethos... -
![Wedded to the Wanton Witch by S.L. Prater]()
Wedded to the Wanton Witch by S.L. Prater
The Bargainer …Just like the fae of legend, Jonas Moen makes advantageous deals no desperate soul can turn away. A talented trickster, he’s amassed such great wealth he’s rumored to have more gold than the king himself. But there’s one thing he’s yet to acquire: a fae lord’s title. Born a commoner, he continues to be denied entry to the best the Lunar Court has to offer... -
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![Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey]()
Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow...Categorized as:
competent heroine friends to lovers independent heroine m-f fantasy magic bisexual first-person-pov -
![The Consolation Prize by Alice Coldbreath]()
The Consolation Prize by Alice Coldbreath
Princess Una harbors no illusions about her claims to Karadok’s throne. The days of the royal house of Blechmarsh are done. The last of that ill-fated line, she is just grateful she emerged from the dark days of war with her head still on her shoulders... -
![Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell]()
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Wives and Daughters is a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the Cornhill Magazine as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess Mary Elizabeth Mohl at her home on the Rue de Bac in Paris. When Mrs Gaskell died suddenly in 1865, it was not quite complete, and the last section was written by Frederick Greenwood... -
![Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr]()
Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr
As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire...Categorized as:
victorian m-f slow burn competent heroine independent heroine fantasy mystery historical -
![A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn]()
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
London, 1887. At the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task--saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution... -
![Castle of the Winds by Christina Baehr]()
Castle of the Winds by Christina Baehr
At Midsummer’s Eve, the Red Dragon will choose his bride.Following this mysterious invitation, Edith sets off on a quest to the Castle of the Winds to find a lost family of dragon keepers in the mountains of Wild Wales. But all is not as it seems. Edith must guard her own hidden power, or she might not return to her friends in Ormdale—including the man who has come to love her...Categorized as:
victorian m-f independent heroine fantasy new adult historical glimpses-kisses christian -
![How to Tame a Beastly Lord by Bree Wolf]()
How to Tame a Beastly Lord by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA fallen lady...A beastly lord...And a night out in the woods. Unmarried and with child, Lady Eugenie enters into a marriage of convenience to save herself and her unborn child from society's censure... -
![A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn]()
A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to help with a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy...Categorized as:
victorian m-f friends to lovers slow burn competent heroine heroine sleuth historical mystery -
![How to Turn a Frog into a Prince by Bree Wolf]()
How to Turn a Frog into a Prince by Bree Wolf
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA barefoot maiden.A painfully proper gentleman.And a friendship most unexpected. After losing her entire family to a horrible sickness, Miss Charlaine Palmer leaves Jamaica and crosses an ocean, hoping for a new beginning in England. Unfortunately, her raven-black hair and olive skin immediately mark her as an outsider, eyed suspiciously by the English ton... -
![버려진 나의 최애를 위하여 [Beoryeojin Na-eui Choeaereul Wihayeo] by Seonyu Kim, 김선유]()
버려진 나의 최애를 위하여 [Beoryeojin Na-eui Choeaereul Wihayeo] by Seonyu Kim, 김선유
N차 정주행을 했을 정도로 좋아한 로판 소설에 빙의했다.평민이지만 돈 많은 평민의 몸에 빙의한 덕분에,나는 몰락 귀족의 신분을 사 귀족가의 연회를 다니며 원작 속 인물들의 로맨스를 관전했다.그렇게 엔딩까지 보고 현실로 돌아가나 싶었는데…….웬걸, 엔딩 후에도 빙의에서 풀려나지 않고 원작 속에서의 인생을 살게 되었다.그러다 보니 알고 싶지 않은 비하인드 이야기까지 알게 되어 버렸다.내 최애인 서브남 카엘루스가 죽어 버린 것이다.그가 없는 원작 속에서 피폐하게 살아가던 나는 결국 병이 들어 죽음을 맞이했다.이제 현실로 돌아가나 싶더니, 무슨 운명의 장난인지 하루아침에 소설 엔딩 직후로 회귀했다...Categorized as:
m-f slow burn competent heroine fantasy historical magic explicit-open-door time travel -
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![Daughter of Sherwood by K.C. Kingmaker]()
Daughter of Sherwood by K.C. Kingmaker
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsDarkness lies in Sherwood Forest, and it’s calling to me… It’s not a good time to be a woman in Nottingham. I have to contend with oppressive taxes, a sick mother, a cruel father, and pushy suitors nipping at my heels. Even as an heiress, I’m imprisoned by my lot in life.I’d rather be a man—gambling with guttersnipe boys, free from the shackles of my aristocratic duties...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f fantasy reverse harem from hate to love historical captive poly -
![The Musician and the Monster by Megan Van Dyke]()
The Musician and the Monster by Megan Van Dyke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMusic says things words never can. I love you. I miss you. I’m sorry I killed you.Every night, Ceridwen Kinsley plays music on her rooftop for the spirit of her dead mother. A peaceful if odd ritual, until she witnesses a murder by something not quite human. The monstrous encounter earns her notoriety within the city and a visit from the reclusive Lord Protector Drystan Winterbourne...Categorized as:
victorian forced proximity fantasy historical magic high fantasy length-medium small town -
![Betting the Scot (The Highlanders of Balforss) by Jennifer Trethewey]()
Betting the Scot (The Highlanders of Balforss) by Jennifer Trethewey
Declan Sinclair is a Highlander who believes his dreams never lie. When he spots Caya at a public house, he knows instantly she is the woman in his dreams—his future wife. Though her brother had promised never to gamble again, he engages Declan in a card game—and the prize is the lovely Caya. Caya Pendarvis has no time for childish things like dreams or fairy-tales or love... -
![Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros]()
Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros
Gabriel Fairchild's valor during battle earns him the reputation of hero, but costs him both his sight and his hope for the future. Abandoned by the fiancée he adored, the man who once walked like a prince among London's elite secludes himself in his family's mansion, cursing his way through dark days and darker nights... -
![Third Degree Yearn by Laney Hatcher]()
Third Degree Yearn by Laney Hatcher
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhen I was just a girl, I gave my heart to the housekeeper’s son. He took it with him when he left and I never got it back.I’ve loved Julian Moore for as long as I can remember. But my plans for a future were stolen before we ever got the chance. Playmates at four. Constant companions at nine. And the undisputed love of my young life by sixteen. We were best friends through it all... -
![Primrose and the Dreadful Duke by Emily Larkin]()
Primrose and the Dreadful Duke by Emily Larkin
He's inherited more than just a dukedom... Oliver Dasenby is the most infuriating man Primrose Garland has ever known. He may be her brother’s best friend, but he has an atrocious sense of humor. Eight years in the cavalry hasn’t taught him solemnity, nor has the unexpected inheritance of a dukedom. But when Oliver inherited his dukedom, it appears that he also inherited a murderer...Categorized as:
friends to lovers siblings-bff humor regency historical mystery fantasy sweet heroine -
![Knight's Bride by Juliette Caruso]()
Knight's Bride by Juliette Caruso
Lady Rachiele, 18, has spent the last eight years dreaming of a life at court with a loving husband. Then her parents sell her hand in marriage to a stranger. Sir Telon of Yovren is handsome enough, and seems charming at first. But when Rachiele learns he’s a drunkard and in love with someone else, she grows determined to escape and chart her own destiny... -
![Sister to Beauty by Roxanne McNeil]()
Sister to Beauty by Roxanne McNeil
What if Beauty tricked her sister into taking her place with the Beast? Henri needs a pretty wife to help his business associates overlook his disfiguring scars and eye patch. Conveniently, the father of the most beautiful girl in Provence owes him an enormous debt and agrees to allow Henri to court her as partial payment... -
![Ridiculous! by D.L. Carter]()
Ridiculous! by D.L. Carter
Identity theft regency style. After the death of her miserly cousin Antony North, Millicent Boarder is determined her family should never be poor or vulnerable again. To protect them she conceals her cousin's death and assumes his identity. Now she must face the Ton and the world as Mr. North and accept the price she must pay for her family's safety -- she will never be loved... -
![穿成囚禁男主的反派要如何活命 How to Survive As a Villain by Yi Yi Yi Yi, 伊依以翼]()
穿成囚禁男主的反派要如何活命 How to Survive As a Villain by Yi Yi Yi Yi, 伊依以翼
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 14 ratings萧予安穿书了。穿成了种马小说里囚禁男主，之后被男主给活活剜死的断袖少年君王。凄惨，悲凉。于是萧予安开始为了能活下去而努力。但是！那些路人甲乙丙丁，你们想要搞男主也就算了，能不能不要老把他送我床上来啊？萧予安觉得自己是宠男主没错，可是那是因为他想沐浴主角光辉啊！萧予安：“不要再把男主当我的禁脔了！！！你们不怕死，可是我想活啊！！！”还有男主啊，你在原小说里可是有夜御十女的丰功伟绩的，能不能好好地追你的老婆们啊？为什么你的大小三四五老婆都和别人跑了！你还一脸无所谓的样子！等等，这好像都是萧予安自己的锅？大概是一个前期受宠攻，后期攻宠受的故事。 轻松！搞笑！作者爬墙注意"How to Survive as a Villain"Xiao YuAn trasmigrated into a novel...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity fantasy historical m-m from hate to love bad boys queer -
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![A Lady Most Dangerous by Caroline Hanson]()
A Lady Most Dangerous by Caroline Hanson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHelen Foster was saved from a watery grave by her BFF from the future and knows she’s lucky to be alive. Sadly, she’s not so lucky in love. Her blackmailed benefactor, Edward Clifton, the Duke of Somervale, thinks she’s dead. And Helen has to make sure it stays that way... -
![The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither]()
The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither
An ancient evil is stirring. The old gods are growing restless. Can she stop the coming storm? A Devastating Sickness For decades, the Kethran Empire has been plagued by a strange illness that leaches the very life and soul from its victims. The Girl Who Survived Casia is one of the Fade-Marked—one of the few people who caught this sickness and lived...Categorized as:
m-f forced proximity slow burn fantasy medieval historical legends & fairy tales shapeshifters -
![The Blacksmith in My Tavern: Tales of Bleakness by L.V. Lane]()
The Blacksmith in My Tavern: Tales of Bleakness by L.V. Lane
I’ve been in love with the local blacksmith for as long as I can remember.With his big, capable hands and acres of shoulders that I can’t help but admire.Only he’s older and a widower. To him, I am nothing but a too-young, too-bold tavern wench.He has rejected my every advance.But his eyes tell a different story.No matter, I’m cursed to be stubborn...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f working class hero pregnancy praise-kink omegaverse age difference fantasy -
![The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London]()
The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDaring. Darling. Determined.Next to the Season’s newest diamond , Harriet (Hattie) Woodchurch feels like a plain Jane. But that’s of no consequence, since Hattie’s plan for her future is to earn enough to live far, far away from her embarrassing family.That is until Mateo Vincente, Duke of Santiava and newly minted Viscount Abbott, arrives in London...Categorized as:
slow burn victorian friends to lovers historical plain heroine regency office boss & employee -
![Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn]()
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for... well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret... and fears she doesn't know him at all... -
![The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon]()
The Sapphire Heiress by Ella Leon
A pirate who walks amongst the highest circles of society.A governess desperate to escape servitude. In Victorian England, the Silver Order has kept its supernatural discoveries hidden for centuries...Categorized as:
victorian m-f competent heroine historical pirates fantasy length-medium behind-doors -
![Betrayer by Lianne Kay]()
Betrayer by Lianne Kay
She marries him for revenge. He marries her for her serpent mark.On the eve of her twentieth birthday, Sol is kidnapped by a barbarian. He wants her to use the magic she doesn’t have to heal someone. She wants to avenge her mother by killing his chieftain.Desperate to get close to their leader, she marries one of their warriors. Her husband vows to never bed her. She vows to win his favor... -
![How to Catch a Sinful Marquess by Amy Rose Bennett]()
How to Catch a Sinful Marquess by Amy Rose Bennett
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye. Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world--or at least the men of the ton--at her feet. But when she's thrown out of a young ladies' academy, Olivia doubts she'll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account...Categorized as:
victorian virgin heroine historical medieval regency fantasy high fantasy length-medium -
![Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis]()
Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis
In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules... Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life... -
![A Bride Unveiled by Jillian Hunter]()
A Bride Unveiled by Jillian Hunter
Violet Knowlton is betrothed to the sensible, if tedious, Sir Godfrey Maitland. When Godfrey escorts her to a fencing demonstration, she looks forward to the adventurous diversion, but everything changes when she realizes the swordsman displaying his skill-and dashing good looks- is none other than her childhood friend Kit...Categorized as:
friends to lovers working class hero fantasy historical regency open-door length-medium -
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![Compromised by Kate Noble]()
Compromised by Kate Noble
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn national bestselling author Kate Noble's “delectable and delightful”* historical romance debut, a pair of mismatched lovers unwillingly find themselves engaged in a most scandalous position… Miss Gail Alton was not having a good day. Or a good year. First, she’s strong-armed into attending the Season as a foil to her beautiful sister Evangeline...Categorized as:
friends to lovers virgin heroine m-f historical regency humor from hate to love forbidden love -
![Lorna Doone by R. D. Madison, R. D. Blackmore]()
Lorna Doone by R. D. Madison, R. D. Blackmore
First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon...Categorized as:
victorian working class hero m-f historical fantasy regency forbidden love sunny hero -
![Beast by Judith Ivory]()
Beast by Judith Ivory
American heiress Louise Vandermeer has agreed to marry a European aristocrat. Her intended is rumored to be a hideously ugly man, a prospect that propels her into a reckless shipboard affair with a compelling stranger she never sees in the light of day... -
![The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan]()
The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan
Continuing her bestselling Rogue Files series, Sophie Jordan brews up a scintillating romance about a timid wallflower who discovers a love potion and ends up falling for a dashing rogue. A love potion… Charlotte Langley has always been the prudent middle sister, so her family is not surprised when she makes the safe choice and agrees to wed her childhood sweetheart...Categorized as:
forced proximity virgin heroine regency historical fantasy humor shy heroine sweet heroine
![버려진 나의 최애를 위하여 [Beoryeojin Na-eui Choeaereul Wihayeo] by Seonyu Kim, 김선유](https://s3.amazonaws.com/romance.io/books/small/6651f60554bb5e7127d8549d.jpg)
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